Half to peter gagnon



(No Model.)

. Patented Aug. 9, |898. W. F. AHEARN.

NET LIFTING MACHINE.

- (Application led Nov.. B, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

rus News PETERS co., PlfoTaLl-mo., WASHINGTON o. c.

No. 608,63I. Patented Aug. 9, |898.

W. F. AHEARN.

vNET' LIFTING MAILHINE.-

v (Applicamn med Nov. s, 1597.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

lll'ivrrien" @rares Farnnr risica@ VILIJAM FRANK AI'IEARN, OF TWO RIVERS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN OR OF ONE` HALF TO PETER GAGNON, OF SAME PLACE.

NETMLIFTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,631, dated August 9, 18981. Application filed November 8, 1897. Serial No. 657,788. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern; L(/,having screw-thread connection with the Be it known that I, VILLIAM FRANK spur-wheel stud. By suitableadj ustment of AHEARN, a citizen of the United States, and, the eccentric J the plate I is actuated to effect a resident of Two Rivers, in the county of aclam'p of the friction-band I-I on the disk G,

5 Manitowoc and Stateof Wisconsin, have inwhereby the spur-wheel is clutched with the 55 vented certain new and useful Improvements shaft to impart rotary motion thereto. Vhile in Net-Lifting Machines; and I do hereby de-y I have shown and described one form of clutch elare that the following is a full, clear, and mechanism, the same result may be obtained exact description thereof. by various other well-known types of such 1o My invention has for its object to simplify, mechanism. c l 6o cheapen, and render more effective the net- A feedpipe K for steam is coupled to a hollifting machine specically set forth in United low bearing for shaft F, and radial arms L of States Patent No. 571,033, issued November a spider fast on said shaft are in communical0, 1896, to myself, assigner of one-half to tion with the bore of the same, as clearly 15 Peter Gagnon. Therefore said invention con` shown in Fig. 3. Coupled to the spider-arms 65 sists in certain peculiarities of .construction are pipe-arms M,having their outer ends fitted and combination ,Y of jparts hereinafter del in the shanks 7L of, forkednet-guards N, the scribed, with reference to the accompanying lattenbeng connected one to another by a drawings, and subsequently claimed. series of troughs P, the latter being of sheet 2o Figure l of the drawings represents an ele-. metal or other suitable material. 7e vation of my improved net-lifting machine, The net-guard Shanks are hollowT beyond partly in section, as indicated by line l 1 in the outer ends of pipe-arms M, fitted therethe third figure; Fig. 2, a detail plan view in, and leading from the hollows are lateral illustrating an adjustable cam constituting ports c', through which steam conveyed by 2 5 part of the machine; Fig. 3, a transverse secsaid pipe-arms has its outlet. 1 Each net-guard 75 tional view of said machine indicatedby line isprovided with a groove j in the direction of 3 3 in the rst figure; Fig. 4, a detail elevathe troughs P, and this groove is deep enough tion illustrating a clutch mechanism em-4 to catch the lead and float linesof a shingbodied in the aforesaid machine; Fig. 5, a net, but too shallow to permit the entrance 3o partly-sectional plan view that further illus-r of fish, leads, or floats. 8o trates the clutch mechanism,l and Fig. 6 a l .Fulcrum-blocks Q for levers R are fast on detail sectional view indicated by line 6 6 in the pipe-arms M,1and the outer end of each the third figure. lever is provided with a plunger 7o, that eX- Referring by letter to the drawings, A reptends through an opening in a corresponding 3 5 resents a `base of cast metal or other suitable net-guard to come within the aforesaid groove 8 5 material, having standards B rising thereof. the same. The working end of each from. Mounted on the base is shown a moplunger and the opposing surface of the cortor C, having a pinion D thereof in mesh with responding net-guard are preferably corrua spur-wheel E,loose on a partly-hollow shaft gated, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, to thereby 4o F, the latter having its bearings on the standobtain a grip that will prevent slip of the 9o ards. aforesaid lead and float lines of a fishing-net Shown fast on the shaft is a peripherallywhen the latter is being lifted by my machine.

flanged disk G, engaged by a friction-band H, The inner end of each lever Ris preferably one end of whichhas the form of a sleeve b, provided with an antifriction-rollermi, that 45 engaged bya stud c, extendinglaterally from comes between cam-flangesn n of a sleeve S 95 the spur-wheel, the other end of this frictionon the shaft F, the outermost cam-fiange n band being a lug d, opposed by a set-screw e, being provided with lugs p, with which screws adjustable in an arm f of a plate I, having t have loose connection, these screws being a circular aperture therein engaged by a adjustable in other lugs q, extending up from 5o cranked eccentric J, loose on a bearing-stem one of the bearings forsaid shaft.y Byuadn roo justment of the screws the cam-flan ged sleeve is moved on the shaft to regulate the grip of the plungers in connection with the aforesaid levers.

The innermost flange a of sleeve S is provided With a peripheral nose r in the path of antifriction rollers s, shown loose on the cranked inner ends of push rods U, that move in guides fr', extending from the aforesaid fulcrum-blocks. Each push-rod is provided With a rigid collar a, and a spiral spring V under tension surrounds said push-rod intermediate of its collar and guide. The outer end of each push-rod is provided with an aperture of sufficient area to prevent euttin g off the adjacent port t' for escaping steam.

In connection with the base A of the machine are antifriction-rollers XV X, against which an incoming fishing-net has travel.

ln practice the machine is set up in a fishing-boat and the lead and fioat lines of a net are gripped in one of the guards N, the motor C started, and the spur-Wheel E clutched to shaft F, after which the operation of lifting the net and running it to the hold of the boat is entirely automatic. The cam-flanges of the adjustable sleeve S are timed to cause grip of each plunger 7s on the net-lines When the net-guard corresponding to said plunger approaches a horizontal position at that side of the boat provided with the roller or rollers YV, and this grip is maintained for about onehalf of one revolution of said net-guard. A plunger having been automatically retracted from its grip on the lead and float lines of the net, the corresponding push-rod U Will be operated against the resistance of its controlling-sprin g to thereby insure the discharge of said lines from the net-guard groove in which they have been previously gripped.

The slack of the net comes in the troughs P, and the latter are deep enough to prevent said net from being affected by Wind, and they also retain any fish that may escape therein through the net-meshes. As the net is freed from the guards it is run over the roller X to the hold of the boat, where the fish may be conveniently handled. At any time it is desirable to stop the lifting of the net it is only necessary to throw the spur- Wheel E out of clutch With the shaft F, and this operation may be readily effected.

By circulating steam through the machine the latter may be kept Warm when exposed to 'Weather of freezing temperature, and thus the most delicate parts of said machine are kept from being clogged with ice. However, this circulation of steam Was a feature of the above-mentioned patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the arms, reciprocative net-gripping plungers operative in conjunction with the guards,and automatic pushers operative to insure disengagement of the net from said guards.

2. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the arms, troughs connecting the guards, and reciprocative net-A gripping plungers operative in conjunction with said guards.

3. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the arms, troughs conneetin g the guards, reciproeative net-grippin plungers operative in conjunction With said guards, and automatic pushers operative to insure disengagement of the net from the aforesaid guards.

4c. A net-lifting machine comprising a shaft mounted in bearings, arms radiating from the shaft, netguards carried by the arms,troughs connecting the guaidsaeciprocative net-gripping plungers operative in conjunction with said guards, automatic pushers operative to insure disengagement of the net from the aforesaid guards, and a drive mechanism having clutch connection with said shaft.

5. A net-lifting machine comprising a ro tative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the arms, levers fulcrumed to said arms, net-gripping plungers extending from the levers to operate in conjunction With the guards, and a lever-rocking cam adjustable on said shaft.

G. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, netguards carried by the arms, levers fulerumed to said arms, net-gripping plungers extending from the levers to operate in conjunction With the guards, pushers in guide connection with the aforesaid arms to disengage the net from said guards, and a lever-- rocking pusher-actuating cam adjustable on said shaft.

7. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, trough-connected net-guards carried by the arms, levers fulcrumed to said arms, netgripping plungers extending from the levers to operate in conjunction with the guards, pushers in guide connection with the aforesaid arms, and a lever-rocking pusher-actu ating cam adjustable on said shaft.

8. A net-lifting machine comprising a rotative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the arms, levers fulcrumed to said arms, net-gripping plungers extending from the levers to operate in conjunction With the guards, a lever-actuating cam provided with a peripheral nose, and spring controlled pushers having cranked ends impinging the periphery of the cam, these pushers being in guide connection with the aforesaid arms and operative to force the net out of said guards subsequent to retraction of the plungers.

9. A net-lifting machine comprising a ro tative shaft, arms radiating from the shaft, net-guards carried by the shaft, and recipro IOO cative net-gripping piungers having corrugated Working ends opposed to corrugated surfaces of the guards With which they cooperate.

l0. A net-iifting machine comprising a shaft mounted in bearings, arms radiating from the shaft, troughconnected netguards carried bythe arms, reciprocative net-grippingpiungers operative in conjunction with the guards, a spur-Whee1 loose on the shaft, a clutch for the spur-Whee1 and shaft, and a motondri ven pinion in mesh with said spur-Wheel.

ll. A net-lifting machine comprising a shaft mounted in bearings, arms radiating from the shaft, trough connected net-guards carried by the arms, levers fuicrumed to said arms, piungers extending from the levers t0 operate in conjunction with the guards, pushers in guide connection with the aforesaid arms, a lever-rockin g pusi1eiactuatin g cam, a Vspur- Wheel loose on the shaft, a clutch for the spurshaft, lugs on a shaft-bearing and eam-adj usting screws having their bearings in said lugs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at TWO Rivers, in the county of Manitowoc and State of fisconsin, in the presence of two Witnesses.

VILLIAM FRANK AIIEARN.

Witnesses:

G. E. OADY, PETER SGHROEDER. 

